The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home the importance of health information systems and the data they generate to identify disease outbreaks and allocate prevention and treatment resources. However, these data systems are often underfunded and need to be strengthened. What has our work at the national level taught us?
Since 2022, I have been working with the U.S. Agency for International Development on a joint study of digital health investments in global COVID-19 vaccine distribution made in 11 countries during the emergency phase of the pandemic. Working as a member of an organized group.
We asked three questions:
- Are there any signs that investments in digital health made to address emergency needs can go beyond crisis response and contribute to strengthening health systems?
- What factors support or inhibit this system-strengthening effect?
- How can such investments contribute to global health security and strengthen countries’ ability to prepare for and respond to health emergencies?
As my colleague at USAID, Amarinth Sikel, puts it in a commentary published in this week’s special issue of the magazine: oxford open digital health“The answers to these questions will require ways to strengthen global health security, recognizing that the strain on health systems is likely to increase as the likelihood of pandemics increases, and ways to strengthen countries’ digital and data systems. We provide insight into how to ensure your investments generate the widest possible value, as climate change increases the risk of zoonotic diseases. ”
Taken together, the results of these multi-country studies highlight the importance of the presence or absence of conditions for successful digital health investments. This “enabling environment” not only contributes to effective emergency response, but also influences the extent to which digital investments deployed during emergencies contribute to stronger health systems prepared for future health shocks. I found that it gives
A study analyzing USAID’s digital COVID-19 vaccine investments in Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Mali, and Suriname found that by linking investments in digital systems development, governance, and infrastructure, national data management processes and routine health care could be improved. It is suggested that the use of data for decision making can be improved. Emergency response.
Another study conducted in Honduras confirmed the value of using “situation room” techniques to build local capacity in data analysis, visualization, and use. That means institutionalizing processes and systems for continuous data review and staff training. Governments and health program managers can measure progress against goals, allocate limited resources to reach those most in need, quickly redirect underperforming programs, and address the most urgent needs. We need data to determine whether or not.
As the World Health Organization stated in its 2023 Call to Action to Improve Pandemic Preparedness, effective preparedness depends on coordinated actions such as maintaining, sustaining, and building day-to-day systems. Masu. The research published in the special issue of the journal shares insights and leverages ground-level insights from projects examining the effectiveness of investments in digital data systems to improve responses to future health emergencies. , provides recommendations for action that can strengthen health systems.
The entire issue is available online, and you can also find related commentary on research by USAID.
